1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the vertical take-off field of aviation.
2. Brief Summary of the Invention
There are many helicopters and gyrocopters in existence today. However, helicopters rely on variable pitch rotor blades to maintain control and provide vertical lift, while aircraft commonly referred to as gyrocopters are pushed in a forward direction on take-off due to the backward thrust of air caused by the propeller located to the rear of the engine assembly.
The present invention overcomes the need for varying the pitch of rotor blades while at the same time allowing vertical lift on take-off and directional control by providing a vertical take-off aircraft using an main rotor assembly at the top of the aircraft, which main rotor assembly consists of an assembly of blades and a rotor.
Vertical lift is obtained by the rotation of the main rotor assembly thereby forcing air in a downward direction by way of the angle of pitch of the blades. Rotation of the main rotor assembly is achieved using an engine assembly located between the main body of the aircraft and the main rotor assembly, which engine assembly is the main engine assembly forming part of the aircraft, and which main engine assembly is connected to the main body of the aircraft by a tilt enabling joint. The main engine assembly is rigidly attached to the tilt enabling joint such that the main rotor assembly is able to be rotated relative to the main engine assembly. The tilt enabling joint comprises numerous components, some of which provide the means to support the main body of the aircraft below the main engine assembly and allow the tilt enabling joint to have a tilting ability while other components provide the means to control and cause tilting motions in the tilt enabling joint during flight, thereby enabling controlled tilting to occur, such that the main engine assembly and the main rotor assembly can be tilted together as a unity relative to the main body of the aircraft in a controlled manner during flight, thereby providing a means for controlling the directional travel of the aircraft during flight and changing the aircraft's direction of travel.
During flight, rotational stability of the main body of the aircraft is maintained by means of an additional engine assembly attached to the aircraft which rotates a secondary rotor assembly, thereby pushing air primarily in a horizontal direction to counter the rotational force exerted on the main body of the aircraft by the rotation of the upper main rotor assembly, which said secondary rotor assembly consists of an assembly of blades and a rotor.